China plans to build ‘Three Gorges dam in space’ to harness solar power
China plans to build ‘Three Gorges dam in space’ to harness solar power
www.scmp.com
China plans to build ‘Three Gorges dam in space’ to harness solar power
26 comments
-
China plans to build ‘Three Gorges dam in space’ to harness solar power
I see the Chinese have found access to space rivers?
But jokes aside, I think it's a bit clickbaity (from the article) to say "China plans" when the article only mentions a single scientist who is pretty much saying "wouldn't it be cool if we had this?". I'm sure out of all countries, China could build this, but I'd temper my excitement from just this statement.
-
Yeah, and orbital microwave power stations also have arms-control treaty implications. China has agreed (through accession) to following the stipulations of the Outer Space Treaty which forbids weapons of mass destruction in space. The difference between a microwave power transmitter and an orbiting energy weapon is only the difference between aiming it at a ground station's rectennas and aiming it at a military target. Traditional ground-based solar power has its flaws but at least it's an undeniably peaceful project.
-
Everything is dual use if you look at an economy holistically. Also like as a weapon it's kind of terrible. You fire it once and your enemy retaliates with MAD, completely destroying geosynchronous orbit with debris.
-
Basically everything interesting in space is a targeting change from being a weapon of mass destruction, from Sputnik right on.
-
*Archimedes joins the chat
-
-
Carve out a 50 year plan and get it done in 10. Meanwhile the private sector finally sets up its own space station that stays in orbit for 3 days.
-
-
I mean I guess we'll see how fast space industry develops with the proliferation of reusable rockets but I seriously doubt gigawatt scale powersats will happen in the next couple of decades.
-
If Chinese moon base plans pan out, then it might be cheaper to start producing stuff on the moon and sending it to orbit from there at some point. I agree this is decades away either way though.
-
-
I mostly agree. Space-based solar power is probably right at the boundary of space infrastructure that's feasible while largely relying on Earth-based supplies.
-
-
-
Prometheanism intensifies
-
“Imagine installing a solar array 1km wide along the 36,000km geostationary orbit,”
This seems like a very weird idea for where to put a space based solar array. The geostationary orbit is already pretty crowded, and a lot of the array would be edge on to the sun at any given time.
-
GEO is the traditional place to put powersats. They stay in the sun for like 99% of the year and they're always above your rectenna. Also there's way less variation in velocity among GEO satellites so you'd expect Kessler syndrome to be less of a concern.
-
-
-
Yeah, if USSR made it through the 90s then it likely would've been doing some really amazing things today. Luckily, we've got China to carry the torch now.
-
-
没有共产党，就没有新中国
-
Do they even make power cables that can reach that far?
-
I was kind if hoping powering batteries in space to have an energy logistic train, but Golden Eye it is!
-
Oh no, I've played Simcity 2000, I know how this ends
26 comments